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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641924">What You Do to Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/treaddelicately/pseuds/treaddelicately'>treaddelicately</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Pre-Relationship, background Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff, winter fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:42:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,531</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/treaddelicately/pseuds/treaddelicately</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn’t like Bucky could just ask her out while she was working. No matter how adorable Wanda looked in her winter gear, the knitted hat pulled over her red curls and the brightness to her eyes as she waved goodbye to each and every one of her students.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Wanda Maximoff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What You Do to Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For @heyjennna on tumblr, who requested <b>ice skating</b> for Winterwitch!</p>
<p>Lovingly beta'd/gut checked by the ever-incredible myracingthoughts, whose squeals always fan my flames.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bucky was in trouble.</p>
<p>Not the usual kind of trouble, either. Not the kind where he was skidding behind Steve into some back alley fight, like he’d done his entire life. Those days were long gone ever since his best friend had settled down and put a ring on Natasha’s finger, popped out two kids, and made himself into a dutiful little family man.</p>
<p>Although, maybe that was part of the trouble. Because if Steve hadn’t asked him to bring little Sarah to her weekly skating lessons, he never would have laid eyes on Wanda Maximoff.</p>
<p>For weeks, Bucky had watched her charm every single person she came across like it was effortless. From the kids who hung on her every single word while she taught them to lace their skates and travel from one side of the rink to the other, to the parents who sat around to watch each lesson.</p>
<p>Not a single person that he’d seen hadn’t been pulled in by Wanda’s soft smiles and gentle, lightly accented voice.</p>
<p>Her captivating nature had made it easy to get to know her. Every week, while the kids changed out of their skates and gear, Bucky took the time to help her collect cones and pack up the snacks she brought to share. The easy, teasing banter between them had put it into his head more than once that maybe he wasn’t the only one with a gigantic teenage crush, too.</p>
<p>But.</p>
<p>It wasn’t like he could just ask her out while she was working. No matter how adorable she looked in her winter gear, the knitted hat pulled over her red curls and the brightness to her eyes as she waved goodbye to each and every one of her students.</p>
<p>Asking her out on a date after she’d spent ten weeks teaching his goddaughter how to ice skate would just be in poor form. Bucky didn’t want her to feel obligated for any myriad of reasons, or uncomfortable about being cornered at her workplace by some skeevy dude looking for a hookup.</p>
<p>He wasn’t that. He refused to be. Still, there was nothing in the unwritten rules that said he couldn’t buy her a hot chocolate as a thank you, right?</p>
<p>She’d headed off for another lap around the rink after the last student had left the ice and so he was left standing for a minute or two, watching her glide across the ice with a sense of wonder. All this time he’d watched her skate at Sarah’s practices, and of course he’d thought she was gorgeous and graceful.</p>
<p>But seeing her skate by herself, unimpeded by young kids who couldn’t keep up with her speed or her skill, was like watching magic happen. Every single one of her movements was fluid and enchanting, as though she were working magic with each movement. Bucky watched with a big, dumb grin on his face until she skidded to a stop in front of him, kicking up a little ice.</p>
<p>“James,” she greeted, bracing a hand on the divider between them. “Did you need something else? Sarah said she found her lost mitten from last week…”</p>
<p>Bucky cleared his throat. “No, no. I just wanted to say thank you.”</p>
<p>“For doing my job?” She tilted her head, a playful glint in her eyes. “You don’t have to thank me, James. Steve paid me quite well for this.”</p>
<p>Of course he had. Softy Steve had probably padded the last paycheck, too. Assuaging his guilt for him and Natasha missing all the lessons and giving Wanda a nice, big holiday bonus in the process. And here all Bucky had for her was a grin and some hot chocolate.</p>
<p>“Good,” he chuckled, holding the paper cup out to her. “You deserve it. And some cocoa, for good measure.”</p>
<p>She stepped off the ice and onto the mat that cushioned her skates to take the offered drink. Bucky had never <i>quite</i> mastered the art of walking on solid ground with knives strapped to his feet, but Wanda made it look effortless.</p>
<p>“Is this peppermint hot chocolate?” Wanda inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering closed. So goddamn pretty that it actually put an ache in his chest. “Peppermint’s my favorite.”</p>
<p>He didn’t want to say that he’d chosen peppermint because that was exactly what she made him think of. Sweet and cool and lingering, the way she did for days after their conversations.</p>
<p>“You seem like a peppermint kinda woman,” was what he said instead. </p>
<p>Wanda smiled at him, warm and wide, making the whole conversation even harder. God, if she were any other woman, he’d have made his move weeks ago.</p>
<p>“I am,” she said. “You’re very observant.”</p>
<p>“Force of habit,” Bucky chuckled. “I, uh… I should go check on Sarah. I’ll get outta your hair.”</p>
<p>He <i>needed</i> to leave, before he could do something stupid like twist those gorgeous red strands around his fingers and close the distance between them. Wanda was still staring up at him, though, her pretty mouth twisted with amusement.</p>
<p>“That’s it?”</p>
<p>He blinked. “What’s it?”</p>
<p>“Well, I just thought…” Her cheeks tinged pink. “I thought maybe you were going to ask me something. But I must have had the wrong impression.”</p>
<p>Bucky’s stomach flipped. “What impression did you get?”</p>
<p>“I thought perhaps, after all the chats we’ve had…” Wanda’s gaze flickered from her cup to his face, hopefulness radiating from her round green eyes. “That you were going to ask me out.”</p>
<p>If he’d been on skates, Bucky would have been knocked flat on his ass.</p>
<p>“I was,” he told her, quickly, before the entire conversation could reveal itself as a fever dream. “But you’re Sarah’s instructor, and this is your job, and I didn’t want you to feel—”</p>
<p>“—obligated?” Wanda laughed. “I don’t accept hot chocolate from just anyone, James. But I see your point. It would be rather inappropriate for you to ask me on a date.”</p>
<p>Any of the tentative hope inflating Bucky’s chest dropped straight to his knees. What a goddamn roller coaster he was on. Thank god Steve wasn’t around to watch him or he’d never hear the end of how he fumbled it with a gorgeous woman for maybe the first time in his life.</p>
<p>“But what if I asked <i>you</i>?”</p>
<p>It took him a moment for Bucky’s brain to catch up with the question. “What?”</p>
<p>Wanda’s smile grew tenfold, apparently amused by his confusion, as she stepped forward to rest her free hand on his arm. “You didn’t want to ask me, so I’m asking you. Would you like to go out with me sometime, James?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” he breathed, closing his bare hand over her gloved fingers. “Yeah, I would definitely like that. A date. Me and you.”</p>
<p>Where the hell had all of his game gone? Every single bit of his usual charm seemed to be brushed away each time she batted her lashes in his direction.</p>
<p>“Great.” Wanda beamed, kicking his heart up another notch. “Why don’t you give me your number and we can text later? Figure out the details?”</p>
<p>Bucky sent up a silent prayer of thanks for technology and pulled out his phone to save her as a contact and send her a message so she would have his number as well. Wanda watched over his shoulder, sipping her hot chocolate, close enough that he could smell the peppermint wafting his way.</p>
<p>“There,” he said, turning to face her when he was finished. “Just let me know when you’re free?”</p>
<p>“I will,” she promised. “But until then…”</p>
<p>Before he could process, Wanda had leaned forward onto the tips of her skates and brushed her lips against his cheek. She hovered there, just long enough to give his brain the brilliant idea to turn his head. Just a few inches, one little bump of his lips against hers. The rink was nearly empty, no one would be able to see, and her breath smelled so impossibly sweet…</p>
<p>“Uncle Bucky!” Sarah’s voice pierced the air as she bounced towards them, her duffel bag bumping against her hip. “Are you ready to go?”</p>
<p>He and Wanda separated as though prodded with an electric shock, both clearing their throats and putting ample space between them. Sarah tucked herself under his arm and he squeezed her shoulder. “Yeah, kiddo, I’m ready. I was just saying bye to Miss Maximoff.”</p>
<p>“Great job this season, Sarah.” Wanda’s smile slid back into place, the sweet one she reserved just for the kids. “I’ll see you during the next free skate?”</p>
<p>“You betcha!” </p>
<p>Bucky used his grip on Sarah’s shoulder to turn and guide her out the door, but he paused for the briefest moment, lifting his free hand to wave at Wanda as they went. She mirrored the movement, raising her cup of cocoa to her lips with a wink that weaved his stomach into a knot and sent blood rushing to his cheeks. </p>
<p>So completely out of his depth, and Bucky didn’t even care. If being around Wanda meant that he got caught up in her spell, so be it.</p>
<p>He’d let her work her magic on him for as long as she wanted.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading! All of your comments and kudos are cherished and appreciated so much.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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